Find here some relatively easy suggestions, if you would like your event to include food with a Middle Eastern touch. Check your supermarket (ask a manager, for they may have things you don't know about), and also check Trader Joe's. Many of these items are there.

Menu Suggestions

TO START

Pita bread cut in small pieces, roughly triangular - used to eat dips such as

Hummus (made from chick peas) and Baba Ghanouj (made from eggplant)

Both can benefit from adding some oil and lemon

to the store-bought varieties.

Olives, both green and black - several varieties would be good - olives are very popular in the region.

Can also serve other marinated things like artichoke hearts, mushrooms, etc.

Cheese - Find a mild slightly salty spanish cheese (available in many stores) - they are similar to some middle eastern cheeses. Usually served cut in pieces about 2"x3" and about 1/4" thick. Can put in Pita bread, on melba crackers, or just eat it plain.

Try grilling it lightly - it's delicious - see picture. Can do it in a pan on the stove or in the oven.

Rice pilaf or couscous - Near Eastern brand is good for either of these.

Lentil soup or a lentil side dish, even a lentil and rice mix Above: Falafel

Progresso Lentil Soup in cans is a good choice for this.

You could even drain the broth and mix them with the rice pilaf above.Actually, Near East has their own lentil and rice pilaf, but this mix of the soup lentils and the rice might be tastier.

Stuffed grape leaves - (could also be served in the starter course) stuffed with rice and meat, or just rice. Greek variety easy to find in some stores (Greek grape leaves are often served cold and are a bit more oily than Middle Eastern, which are more lemony and often served hot).

DESSERT

Baklava - very traditional throughout all the Middle East and also a Greek dessert.

Tabbouliis available in many stores, but it should be made with a majority of green parsley and scallions, not primarily grain. You could add some minced flat parsley (not the curly variety) and long green onions to the tabbouli you find in stores. Also needs tomatoes. Take a look at the photos to see how it should look.

Or buy the box mix, the Near East brand (in the rice aisle of all US supermarkets), which will provide you with the correct grain for the salad (it's call burghul and should be finely ground). But again, the salad should not be primarily grain, so add a lot of finely minced flat parsley and long green onions or scallions (more of the parsley). You can put those in a food processor to mince them. There should be more greens than grain. Also add tomatoes in small bites. The dressing is lemon juice and olive oil, with some garlic powder and salt to taste.

Adding lemon juice to store bought tabbouli helps it a lot - be generous, it shouldn't be dry.

7. Stir in the rice making sure that it is fully covered with the oil and spices, place the chicken in the rice.

8. Add the pine nuts.

9. Pour in the stock or water and cover. Cook slowly for about half an hour. Stir occasionally and as you do so allow the chicken to break up. You may need to add extra hot water if the rice gets a little dry.

10. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle with minced parsley.

GarlicSauce

This is the definitive garlic sauce, perfect for serving like a mayonnaise (but there's no mayonnaise in it) - brush on chicken before grilling, or simply put in a sandwich as a condiment. Can also let meat sit in it as a marinade.

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic

3 - 4 cups olive oil

Salt to taste

The juice of one lemon

Preparation

Crush the garlic with a little salt in a mortar and pestle or easier still, in a blender. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil but keep beating. (You don't want to 'break' the sauce.)

Keep drizzling until you have a fine white fluffy garlic mayonnaise. When you think it's fine and white and fluffy enough (this will take a while, 10 minutes or so at least, more if you're pounding), add lemon juice but keep beating. Add salt and add extra lemon juice to taste.

Mix enough of this marinade to cover the meat you will be grilling or BBQing.
Allow meat to marinate overnight.

PotatoLatkes

Ingredients:

* 4 large potatoes

* 1 medium onion

* 1 large egg

* 1 tsp. salt

* 1/2 tsp. white pepper

* 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

* 1/2 tsp. baking powder

* vegetable oil (for frying)

Preparation:

1. Grate potatoes and onion. Transfer to colander and squeeze mixture to press out as much liquid as possible.

2. In a large bowl, mix egg, salt, pepper, flour and baking powder. Add potato and onions, and mix well.

3. Heat oil in a deep, heavy skillet.

4. Drop about 2 tablespoons of potato mixture into the pan for each pancake. Flatten with back of spoon so each pancake is about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter.

5. Fry over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp. Turn carefully with 2 spatulas so oil does not splatter. 6. Drain on paper towels.

7. Before frying each new batch, stir potato mixture. If all the oil is absorbed, add a little more to the pan.

8. Serve hot with applesauce, or sour cream, or sugar.

Green Beans in Tomatoes

Ingredients
* Fresh green string beans, or frozen.
* 1 large can of crushed tomatoes, or diced or stewed

- can have seasoning in it if you like.
* 3 brown onions, chopped
* 2 cloves of garlic crushed - you can substitute minced garlic in a jar.
* 3 tbs olive oil
* 2 tbs lemon juice
* salt & pepper
You could also add herbs that you like.

But notice if the tomatoes you got have some in them.

1. Cook the beans until moderately done, not very soft.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté them until soft, around 10 minutes. OR you could skip this step and just used minced onions in a jar.
3. Add to the onions: the garlic, beans, salt and pepper (and any herbs if you chose some), and saute for on a low heat for a few minutes (5-15 mins), until beans are pretty soft.
4. Add the canned tomatoes and lemon juice, and bring to a boil, then turn it down.
5. Cover and simmer over a very low heat for about 20 minutes. Okay if tomatoes get thicker. If you are going to let it simmer longer, could put in the beans uncooked. The longer they are in there, the more they absorb the other flavors.